Blue Rags in Asheville

June 5, Grey Eagle Music Hall, Asheville North Carolina. From playing Piedmont juke joints to open-mic nights at some of the area's most stalwart venues, the Blue Rags quickly took over the mid-'90s Asheville music scene. Their startling brand of roots-music-on-overdrive earned them packed houses across the country, and a two-record-deal with venerable indie label SubPop. It was their wild ride and Asheville went with them.For details or tickets: http://www.thegreyeagle.com/

2010 Summer at the Wortham Series Begins This Week

June 5, 7PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, Two South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Trombonist Rick Trolsen and his traditional jazz sextet, The New Orleans Po' Boys. The sextet features Trolsen's trombone blending with other front-line instruments, trumpet and clarinet, as they merge with piano, bass/tuba and drums to create contemporary heat in traditional jazz classics such as "Struttin' with Some Barbecue," "Mahogany Hall Stomp," and "The Royal Garden Blues."   Read more...

Gulf Restoration Network Benefit: In light of the current oil spill crisis affecting the Gulf State communities, the WNC Jazz Society is taking this opportunity to support the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) in association with Sunday's performance and a portion of the proceeds.

Annual pops Concert Unforgetable

May 22, 8PM - 10PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. The Asheville Choral Society and Music Director Lenora Thom present the annual pops concert: "Unforgettable". For Lenora's farewell concert, the choir will perform a lively sampling of America’s best popular music, from the 1930s to today. Songs include: Duke Ellington, Harry Connick, Jr., Nat King Cole, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Jason Mraz, The Beach Boys, Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, Kelly Clarkson, and more!

The Blue Ridge Orchestra: For the Love of Music

May 20, 7PM, Fine Arts Theater, 36 Biltmore Ave, AshevilleNorth Carolina.  For the Love of Music - a documentary film about the Blue Ridge Orchestra by local film maker Mark Fields. A behind the scenes look into Asheville's own community orchestra, the Blue Ride Orchestra, plus tenor William Martin. Join the director as he leads the orchestra and its musicians through rehearsals to the highlight of the year, a breathtaking symphonic tribute to the late and great tenor Luciano Pavarotti. This look at one of America’s few remaining community orchestras READ MORE...

Ballads and Banjos at Grey Eagle

May 20, 7:30 PM, Grey Eagle Music Hall, Asheville North Carolina. Tim Eriksen & Riley Baugus perform. Jim Eriksen is "widely regarded as the best ballad singer of his generation" (BBC Radio). He combines hair-raising vocals with savvy arrangements for fiddle, banjo, guitar and banjo sexto. Riley Baugus represents the best of old time American banjo and song. His powerful singing voice and his expert musicianship place him squarely in the next generation of the quality American roots tradition. http://www.thegreyeagle.com/

Downtown After 5 Begins 22nd Season

May 21, Downtown Asheville North Carolina. Downtown After 5 Concert Series begins its 2010 season this Friday. The event is located on Lexington Avenue, between Hiawassee Street and I-240 and features biodegradable food and beverage containers, staffed compost and recycling stations, a solar-powered main stage, organic cotton staff and souvenir tee shirts and a complimentary bike parking corral. Proceeds from the Series are split with local charitable organizations who provide volunteers staff. Read more...

Ah....Horse Feathers!

May 8, 8PM, Grey  Eagle Music Hall, 185 Clingman Ave, Asheville North Carolina. Horse Feathers w/ Barton Carroll perform at Grey Eagle. Horse Feathers' first album, Words Are Dead, received a Plug Awards nomination for Americana Album of the Year in 2007, and their second, House With No Home, sold over 12,000 copies, making it one of Kill Rock Stars' best-selling debut records ever. Read more or get tickets: http://www.thegreyeagle.com/

Preview of Carmen in Asheville

April 7, 7PM-10PM, Asheville Lyric Opera, Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Guest Conductor - Robert Franz from Houston Symphony and Mansfield Symphony Guest Director - David Carl Toulson from Washington Opera and L.A. Opera
Assistant Conductor - Michael Porter. Buy Tickets...

Godspell Performed at the Orange Peel

April 1, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville North Carolina. The Highland Acting Company performs Godspell delivering powerful vocals, innovative theatre, and a strong production- all with a humorous edge. The new, culturally relevant version of the Broadway classic is a great way to spend Easter weekend. Tickets are $15, available at http://www.godspellasheville.com

Hot Club of Cowtown in Asheville this Weekend

March 21, 7PM, Grey Eagle Music Hall, Asheville North Carolina. The Hot Club of Cowtown has grown to be the most globe-trotting, hard-swinging Western Swing trio on the planet. The Group has been featured on All Things Considered, The Grand Ol' Opry, $40 Dollars a Day with Rachel Ray, Mountain Stage, A Prairie Home Companion, and numerous other radio and television programs. http://www.thegreyeagle.com/

Hands of Hope Benefit Concert

March 21, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville North Carolina. In a special Hands of Hope benefit that will help RiverLink and others, Billy Jonas and his barely-contained wackiness bring smiles to faces aged 2 to 80. A Billy Jonas performance combines singalongs, bangalongs and whisperalongs with improvised songs featuring audience participation are a mainstay. Doors will open at 2:30PM. Cost is $10 for kids age 2 and up, and $15 for adults. (828) 225-5851 http://theorangepeel.net/

Chuck Prophet Performs at Grey Eagle

March 9, Grey Eagle Music Hall,  Asheville North Carolina. Chuck Prophet has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) and Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC). He has collaborated with Warren Zevon, Dan Penn and Alejandro Escovedo among many others, and his songs have been recorded by everyone from Solomon Burke to Heart. http://greyeagle.musictoday.com

Dublin Orphanage Inspires Songwriter-Muscian for "800 Voices"

March 17, 7PM, Dianna Wortham Theatre, Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Out of Ireland's troubled 50s and 60s the story of Danny Ellis and his early life in Dublin's most infamous orphanage. Ellis, now an internationally acclaimed musician and songwriter, presents uplifting and poignant songs and stories accompanied by Jack Devereux and Jamie Laval on fiddle, mandolin, whistles, and uillean pipes. "800 Voices" is a journey of the spirit not to be missed. Proceeds from patron tickets will go to support Leaf International, a non-profit program that empowers youth globally through music and performance arts. This show is not suitable for children under 12 years of age.

Pre-Event Party for Patron ticket holders! Patron ticket holders are invited to the 6:00 p.m. pre-event party hosted by LEAF International and sponsored by Pisgah Brewing Company. These special ticket holders will have reserved seating at the show and receive a LEAF International CD.

Land of the Symphony Performance

February 28, 7PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Place, Asheville North Carolina. Land of the Sky Symphonic Band presents music in the tradition of a community-style band. Members include professional and amateur musicians of all ages and walks of life who live in Buncombe County and its surrounding counties.

Jazzy Big Band in Asheville

Feb 21, 4PM, UNC Asheville's Lipinsky Auditorium, Asheville North Carolina. The University Big Band, directed by David Wilken, and the Studio 18 vocal jazz ensemble, directed by Melodie Galloway, present a joint concert.. The Big Band will perform works by Woody Herman, Jerome Kern and Wilken. The vocal group will present a variety of solo and group numbers by composers Duke Ellington, Paul Simon and Deke Sharon. http://www.unca.edu/

Asheville has Fiery Furnaces

February 4, 8PM, Grey Eagle Music Hall, Asheville North Carolina. I'm Going Away is the Fiery Furnaces' Eighth album. It was recorded by and mixed with Jason Loewenstein at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 in New York City. Jason also played bass and Robert D'Amico played drums. All songs were written together by Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger, except for the title track, which is "trad. Arranged by." Eleanor wrote most of the lyrics; Matt wrote most of the music and also produced the album.  http://greyeagle.musictoday.com

Fiddling Around in Asheville

Feb 1-2, 8PM Dianne Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. Two of the world's most celebrated fiddlers are married. Known best for their individual careers and tours, this fiddling couple, winners of multiple Juno Awards (Canada's version of the Grammy award), is coming through Asheville during a rare three-month joint tour. Get details... 

Don Pasquale in Asheville

Jan 27, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Square, Asheville North Carolina. The Asheville Lyric Opera presents "Don Pasquale", Donizetti’s comic tale of true love.  Diana Wortham Theatre Box office 828-257-4530 http://www. dwtheatre.com.  ALO season ticket office 828-236-0670 http://www.ashevillelyric.org

Asheville Lyric Opera "Fun-Raiser"

Jan 21, 6-9PM, The Venue, downtown Asheville North Carolina   Special Winter Fundraiser for Asheville Lyric Opera   A special evening of Gilbert & Sullivan music review and a food feast of heavy hors d'oeuvres  Italian Tuscan food by Vincenzo's.  Call the opera office for reservations. 828-236-0670

SoliClassica Brings Metropolitan Opera Artists to Asheville

Jan 17, 3PM, Dianne Wortham Theatre, 2 South Pack Place, Asheville North Carolina. Come enjoy “A Musical Offering” featuring tenor Vinson Cole, and pianist George Darden, both Metropolitan Opera Artists, in a recital of music by Bellini, Debussy, Strauss, Chopin, Rachmaninov and more. The event is presented by SoliClassica, Asheville’s premier classical print and music store, continuing  its mission of offering world-class musicians at affordable prices. Read more...